Korea has previously showcased missiles which were believed to be fake.

An image of North Korea showing a submarine launched missile were a manipulative faked propaganda and the country has yet to go a long way before developing such technology, expressed a top U.S. military official and analysts on Tuesday.

“They have not gotten as far as their clever video editors and spinmeisters would have us believe,” said U.S. Admiral James Winnefeld at the Centre for Strategic & International Studies in Washington on Tuesday.

North Korea said on 9th May that it had successfully launched a ballistic test missile from a submarine, implying a break-through in its quest for missile-equipped submarines. The country is under sanctions imposed by the United States and the United Nations for its nuclear missile tests.

Winnefeld, who is the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that North Korea is “many years” from developing submarine-launched ballistic missiles. An analysis from German aerospace engineers Markus Schiller and Robert Schmucker of Schmucker Technologies reportedly supports Winnefeld’s statement.

The two analysts, based in Munich said that the image of the launch was “strongly modified”, including reflections of the missile flame in the water which were not in line with the missile itself.

Analysis posted by experts on the websites 38north.org and armscontrolwonk.com suggested that the missile appeared to have been launched from an exclusively designed submerged barge, not from a submarine, negating North Korea’s claim.

Photos of the missile from state media were showing no smoke whereas a state television showed images of a missile leaving a trail of white smoke, suggesting that the two photos were of different missiles with different propulsion systems.

The country has frequently shown faked proofs in support of their missile technology such as glaring mockups of missiles at military parades in 2012 and 2013, while threatening to destroy the United States, on a regular basis, Markus and Robert said.

North Korea, on Wednesday, warned the US not to oppose its sovereign right to strengthen military deterrence and mentioned its capability to miniaturise and incorporate nuclear warheads in missiles, a claim not confirmed and widely questioned by experts.

The submarine-based missile launch was “yet a higher level of accomplishment in the development of strategic attack means”, said North Korea’s National Defence Commission which is under the leadership of Kim Jong Un.